Skeleton Keys and MindCrossed Ghosts
by cassy1994
Summary: Spot has a pretty good place in the world. He's got a river view and he's king of Brooklyn and everything. But that ain't how it always was...


Title: Skeleton Keys and Mind-Crossed Ghosts.

Summary: Spot has a pretty good place in the world. He's got a river view and he's king of Brooklyn and everything. But that ain't how it always was...

Characters: Spot, mild mentions of others. Mention of previous relationship with another newsboy.

VHVHVHVHVHVH

"We'e with you, Jack." That was the only vote I needed.

"So, what do you say, Spot?" I looked around, my eyes lingered on Race for only half a moment longer than any of the other newsies. He had made my decision when he pledged his allegiance in vote with Jack.

I knew his coin was there right next to my mother's key on the cord around my neck. "I say... That what you say... Is what I say." Jack smirked, and we spit-shook on it.

The first voice I heard to cheer was Race's. The cheers grew as the rest of the crowd joined in, they grew louder as Medda came on stage. I moved off stage. Race caught my eye. I held his gaze for a moment, he looked away first but my gaze lingered for a moment longer.

I let my thoughts drift as Medda sang, and the rally carried on. I fiddled with the cord around my neck. My fingers ran over the semi-smoothness of the quarter. Race's first gambling trick, the bet had been silly, but it had cemented our friendship and started our on and off romance. Currently, we were off; he was experimenting, trying to see if he could get the other guys to fess any sort of attraction to him.

The coin slipped past my fingers, leading my fingers to make sure the key was there. The cold metal hit my fingertips and I heard the words I would always remember in the memory that would always remain clearer than if I had just heard them.

'_"You know where home is and you're always welcome to come back. I love you and I hope you find what you're looking for."_' That was the last thing I ever heard my mother say. She handed me the skeleton key I could use to get back into the mansion if I ever wanted to reclaim my crown as Prince of Brooklyn. I had just smiled and turned away. I had tucked the key into my pocket. I journeyed out. I got jumped once, but thank my Irish luck there happened to be a smooth-talking Italian that came to my rescue.

His words rang clear in my memory. '_"Get back home. Streets ain't no place for a rich boy." He smiled at me then, "Betcha a quarter we never see each other again."_

_I returned the smile, and answered, "You realize in order for either of us to pay up we would have to see each other again, in which case you would have lost a quarter to me."_

_He smirked, "I know." He had disappeared that night. I had wandered a bit that night but the morning light found me following the orders I had been given by Race and I had returned home to my parents large estate. I had found what I was looking for._

_I used the key my mother had given me and went in through the front door. I heard a shrill scream come __from above. I gazed up and saw my father on the banister with his handgun from the navy pointed at my mother. He shot once, my mother crumpled to the floor, and my father stepped backwards off the banister into empty space. I then saw the rope hanging from the ceiling as my father swung from it. I ran. I left the house and ran._

_I ran blindly, instinct was guiding me. Soon, I was lost in Manhattan. I stopped in an alley, and slumped against a wall. I stayed there till late in the day. Some kid came through the alley, stopped when he saw me. "Hey, kid, you alright?"_

_I glanced up at him, I took in his apparel. He appeared to be playing cowboy, "What's it to ya, Cowboy!" I said coldly._

_"So you know my nickname but what do I call you?" He said smiling._

_"Spot Conlon. And if you try to change it, I'll soak ya."_

_He laughed, "Alright. My real name's Kelly, Jack Kelly."_

_He helped me up and led me to the Manhattan lodging house. He introduced me to some of his buddies that were down in the main room. Then he led me upstairs to the bunk room._

_He opened the door, and my eyes fell on the Italian I had been fortunate enough to meet already._

_"So, I says ta de guy 'Betcha we's nevah meet again.' and he says back ta me..." He looked up as we walked in, and laughed. "Ya wasn't s'posed to come lookin' fo' me."_

_"I wasn't plannin' on it. I was all fo' lettin' you win de bet." I answered._

_"Ah, ya win some, ya lose some." He smiled, "Heah."_

_He tossed me something from his pocket. I caught it and looked at it. A quarter. I smirked at him. "Ya always pay up?"_

_"Only if I can affo'd ta loose. Guys, this is the guy I was just tellin' ya about." He kept on talking and relayed much of last nights exploits to his friends._

_I stayed that night and joined them in selling the pape the next day. As they were heading back to their lodge, Race asked me if I was going to join the Manhattan newsies. I told him I would prefer to be in Brooklyn but I would keep in touch before I disappeared into the night. I went into Brooklyn. And spent the next few days scouting out the Brooklyn lodging house. I joined and showed my skills as a newsie, earning respect as a good newsie. Soon after I joined the lodging house I was visited by Jack and Race seeing how I was adjusting._

_I told them all was well. That night after they left, however the leader of the Brooklyn lodging house started making snide comments about Jack and Race. I let the coolness and anger take over and next thing I knew I was standing over the leader's body and blood was pooling out of it._

_"Spot, you killed him." One of the other Brooklyn boys said._

_"Yeah, and I'll kill anyone else who dare to anger me." I responded._' Since then I had been King of Brooklyn.

I focused back into the present. I kept the key around my neck to remind me of what I had once had and given up before I lost it. And I kept the coin around my neck to remind me life happens for a reason.

"Spot, Snyder's here." Dave whispered in my ear. I glanced up towards Snyder. He had been trying to get me since my parents' death, almost as long as he had been trying to get Jack.

I got up and disappeared into the night with a skeleton key around my neck and the ghosts of my past on my mind.

(So, I had the urge to watch the Newsies, and who am I to argue with watching my favorite movie. :) So, I watched it and I saw that Spot had a key and a coin on the string around his neck. For some reason, I thought mother, Racetrack... I started typing and thus was born this! I hope you enjoyed it. As per usual, Read, Enjoy, Review. -Luvs Cassy.)


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